Powell becomes Joint Chiefs’ chairman - Sep 21, 1989 - HISTORY.com Powell becomes Joint Chiefs’ chairman Share this: Powell becomes Joint Chiefs’ chairman Author Powell becomes Joint Chiefs’ chairman URL Publisher A+E Networks The Senate Armed Forces Committee unanimously confirms President George H. Bush’s nomination of Army General Colin Powell as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell was the first African American to achieve the United States’ highest military post. Powell was born in 1937 in Harlem, New York, to Jamaican immigrant parents. Joining the U.S. Army after college, he served two tours in Vietnam before holding several high-level military posts during the 1970s and 1980s. From 1987 to 1989, he was national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan and in 1989 reached the pinnacle of his profession when he was appointed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President George Bush. As chairman, General Powell’s greatest achievement was planning the swift U.S. victory over Iraq in 1991’s Persian Gulf War. In 1993, he retired as chairman.

Two years later, he embarked on a national tour to promote his autobiography, My American Journey, fueling speculation that he was testing the waters for a possible presidential campaign. By the fall of 1995, public enthusiasm over the possibility of his running for president had reached a feverish pitch. Regarded as a moderate Republican, opinion polls showed Powell trailing close behind Republican favorite Bob Dole and favored over Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton. However, in November 1995, he announced that he would not run for president in the next election, citing concerns for his family’s well-being and a lack of passion for the rigors of political life. From 1997, he served as chairman of “America’s Promise–The Alliance for Youth,” a national nonprofit organization dedicated to building the character and competence of young people. In December 2000, Powell was appointed the first African American U.S. secretary of state by President-elect George W. Bush. Unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he was sworn in on January 20, 2001 and held that position until January 26, 2005. He was succeeded by Condoleezza Rice.

Related Videos September 21, 1989 : Powell becomes Joint Chiefs’ chairman Introduction The Senate Armed Forces Committee unanimously confirms President George H. Bush’s nomination of Army General Colin Powell as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell was the first African American to achieve the United States’ highest military post. Powell was born in 1937 in Harlem, New York, to Jamaican immigrant parents. Joining the U.S. Army after college, he served two tours in Vietnam before holding several high-level military posts during the 1970s and 1980s. From 1987 to 1989, he was national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan and in 1989 reached the pinnacle of his profession when he was appointed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President George Bush. As chairman, General Powell’s greatest achievement was planning the swift U.S. victory over Iraq in 1991’s Persian Gulf War. In 1993, he retired as chairman. Two years later, he embarked on a national tour to promote his autobiography, My American Journey, fueling speculation that he was testing the waters for a possible presidential campaign.

By the fall of 1995, public enthusiasm over the possibility of his running for president had reached a feverish pitch. Regarded as a moderate Republican, opinion polls showed Powell trailing close behind Republican favorite Bob Dole and favored over Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton. However, in November 1995, he announced that he would not run for president in the next election, citing concerns for his family’s well-being and a lack of passion for the rigors of political life. From 1997, he served as chairman of “America’s Promise–The Alliance for Youth,” a national nonprofit organization dedicated to building the character and competence of young people. In December 2000, Powell was appointed the first African American U.S. secretary of state by President-elect George W. Bush. Unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he was sworn in on January 20, 2001 and held that position until January 26, 2005. He was succeeded by Condoleezza Rice.

Article Details: September 21, 1989 : Powell becomes Joint Chiefs’ chairman Author September 21, 1989 : Powell becomes Joint Chiefs’ chairman URL General Colin Powell was the First African American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the U.S. Army Gen. Colin L. Powell 1989: First black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Powell made history by becoming the 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-the highest military position in the Department of Defense, Oct. 1, 1989, to Sept. 30, 1993. At age 52, he became the youngest officer to serve in this position. Powell made history again when he became the first appointed black secretary of state, Jan. 20, 2001. Colin Luther Powell facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Colin Luther Powell Sources Already highly regarded by political and military leaders in the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon, U.S.

Army General Colin Powell achieved national and international prominence in 1990 and 1991 as one of the key leaders of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the military campaigns to protect Saudi Arabia and liberate Kuwait from Iraqi control. Powell, as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, heads up the Pentagon and serves as the president’s top military adviser, placing him among the most powerful policy makers in the world. During the Persian Gulf War, he was credited with skillfully balancing the political objectives of President George Bush and the strategy needs of General Norman Schwarzkopf and other military commanders in the field. Because of his leadership during the war and his experience as an insider in the Washington bureaucracy, Powell has been suggested by analysts as a promising candidate for future political office, either as vice-president or president. Colin Luther Powell was born in 1937 in Harlem, the son of Jamaican immigrants who had both gone to work In New York City’s garment district. The young Powell grew up in the South Bronx, where he enjoyed a secure childhood, looked after by a closely knit family and a multi-ethnic community. He graduated from Morris High School In 1954 and received his B.A.

in geology from the City College of New York in 1958. He was undistinguished as a student, but he excelled in the college’s Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC), leading the precision drill team and attaining the top rank offered by the corps, cadet colonel. He was not West Point trained, but his achievements in the ROTC won him a commission as second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. His first assignment for the U.S. Army was at the Fulda Gap in West Germany, where American and allied troops stood as an obstacle on the Soviet bloc’s most likely invasion route of Western Europe. In the 1960s, Powell served two tours of duty in South Vietnam . As an adviser to South Vietnamese troops, he was wounded in 1963 when he fell victim to a Vietcong booby trap.

His second tour, from 1968 to 1969, as an Army Infantry officer, also ended when Powell was injured, this time in a helicopter crash from which he rescued two of his At a Glance… Full name, Colin Luther Powell; born April 5, 1937, in Harlem, NY; son of Luther (a shipping clerk) and Maud Ariel (a seamstress; maiden name, McKoy) Powell; married Alma Vivian Johnson (a speech pathologist), August 25, 1962; children: Michael, Linda, Annemarie. Education: City College of the City University of New York, B.S., 1958; George Washington University, M.B.A., 1971; graduate of the National War College, 1976. Religion: Episcopalian. U.S. Army career officer, 1958—; commissioned second lieutenant, 1958, promoted to general, 1989.

Served in West Germany, beginning 1958, and in the U.S.; served in Vietnam as a military adviser, 1962-63, and as battalion executive officer and division operations officer, 1968-69, and in South Korea as battalion commander, 1973; commander of the Second Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY, 1976-77; assistant commander of the Fourth Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO, 1981-83; deputy commander of Fort Leavenworth, KS, 1983; commanding general of the Fifth Corps, Frankfurt, West Germany, 1986-87; commander-in-chief of the U.S. Forces Command at Fort McPherson, GA, 1989—; chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C., 1989—.

Assistant to the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, 1972-73; executive assistant to the secretary of energy, 1979; senior military assistant to the deputy secretary of defense, 1979-81; military assistant to the secretary of defense, 1983-86; deputy assistant for the assistant to the President for national security affairs, 1987; assistant to the President for national security affairs, 1987-89. Awards: Military honors, including the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, both 1963, and the Legion of Merit, 1972. Addresses: Home —Fort Myers, VA. Office —Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Pentagon, Room 2E-857, Washington, DC 20318. fellow soldiers. For his valor in Vietnam, he received two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, a Soldier’s Medal, and the Legion of Merit. Gained Political Experience Back on the home front, Powell pursued an M.B.A. at George Washington University.

After completing his graduate studies in 1971, he was awarded a prestigious White House fellowship, which gave him the opportunity to get his first taste of politics. From 1972 to 1973, he worked for Frank Carlucci, then Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Caspar Weinberger. It was the beginning of Powell’s education in the dynamics of the Washington bureaucracy. Over the next 15 years he returned to the political arena from time to time to continue that education. From 1979 to 1981, Powell served the Carter administration as an executive assistant to Charles Duncan, Jr., the Secretary of Energy, and as senior military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. When the Reagan administration came to Washington, Powell worked with Carlucci on the Defense Department’s transition team, and then from 1983 to 1986 he joined Weinberger again, this time as military assistant to the Defense Secretary. While there, Powell contributed to the department’s involvement in the invasion of Grenada and the bombing raid on Libya . Between stints in the political arena, Powell continued to advance his military career.

In 1973, he travelled to South Korea to take command of a battalion and then a year later he returned to Washington as a staff officer at the Pentagon. He completed his military education at the National War College in 1976 and took command of the Second Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky , that same year. In the early 1980s, he completed assignments as the assistant commander of the Fourth Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado , and as the deputy director at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas . He was in West Germany again in 1987, this time as commanding general of the Fifth Corps in Frankfurt, when he was called back to Washington to work again with Frank Carlucci, the new National Security Adviser. Carlucci had been chosen to head the troubled National Security Council in the aftermath of the Iran -Contra scandal. Powell was not a stranger to the NSC’s dealings under Admiral John Poindexter and Oliver North; he had first confronted the issue of arms sales to Iran while working under Weinberger at the Defense Department.

Yet, even though he had been aware of the covert activities, he was able to remain above reproach because he had always acted according to law and had not become involved until after presidential approval had been given. Together Carlucci and Powell reorganized the NSC to reduce the possibility for free lance foreign policy. When in 1987 Carlucci took over as Secretary of Defense for the departing Weinberger, Powell was called upon to take over leadership of the NSC. The move earned widespread approval in Washington because, as Fred Barnes wrote in the New Republic, Powell is “a national security adviser strong enough to settle policy disputes but without a personal agenda.” During his tenure at the NSC, Powell did speak out on a number of issues he felt were important to national security, including economic strength, control of technology exchanges, protection of the environment, a stable defense budget, free trade and foreign investment, research and development, and education. He also expressed his opposition to plans for the overthrow of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and to heavy spending on the Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”). Even so, as he told Barnes, “I' principally a broker.

I have strong views on things, but my job is to make sure the president gets the best information available to make an informed decision.” Named Chairman of Joint Chiefs In 1989, President Bush rewarded Powell for the knowledge and skills he had acquired in the military and political arenas by naming him to the military’s top post, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the youngest man and first black to hold that position. Said the president of Powell: “As we face the challenges of the 90s, it is most important that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff be a person of breadth, judgment, experience, and total integrity. Colin Powell has all those qualities and more.” In peacetime, the chairman’s responsibilities have included overseeing the prioritization of Pentagon spending and keeping the channels of communication open between the military and the White House. They have also included drawing up plans for military action, first in Panama and then in the Middle East . Because of a 1986 law redefining his role and because George Bush has the utmost trust in Powell, the general has more influence than any Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since World War II .

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, obliged Powell to exercise that authority. The day after the invasion, Powell advised the president that a number of options were open, including economic and diplomatic sanctions, as well as the use of military force; the Bush administration decided that decisive force was the necessary response. Operation Desert Shield, requiring the massive movement of troops and supplies to Saudi Arabia, was soon initiated as a show of force and to serve as a deterrent to further Iraqi aggression. After touring the Middle East, the general recommended increasing the number of troops to assure the success of an isolate and destroy strategy if it proved necessary. He told U.S. News and World Report: “You in win, and you go in to win decisively.” Oversaw War in the Middle East In the early stages of the operation, Powell again demonstrated his ability to manage people and bureaucracies. As European and Middle Eastern troops joined in a coalition against Iraq , Powell directed the quick integration of communications, operations, and authority into a command network under the direction of General Norman Schwarzkopf.

During the planning of the air and land campaigns, he aided the president in making political decisions and kept him informed of military plans, but he also convinced the Washington warriors to leave the commanders in Saudi Arabia the space needed to carry out their missions. He, too, avoided involvement in the minute details of day-to-day operations, exerting his authority only on major issues. He oversaw bombing missions on Baghdad only after the destruction of a suburban Baghdad bunker killed 400 civilians. He rejected Marine requests to launch a true amphibious assault on Kuwait instead of the feint scheduled to aid Schwarzkopf’s encirclement of Kuwait by an end run through Iraq. He also convinced President Bush to respond to the February 21 Iraqi peace proposal with an ultimatum: the Iraqis must pull out of Kuwait by noon Washington time, February 23. When the deadline passed, the coalition began its land campaign later that night as scheduled. With the success of Operation Desert Storm, Powell has been placed in the spotlight of media and public attention.

Criticism of him by black leaders who label him a servant of the white Establishment and by peace activists who see him as a trigger-happy hawk has been tempered by praise of him as a positive role model for young blacks and as a committed defender of liberty. Future Plans Powell has met with Vice-President Dan Quayle to assure him that the general has no designs on the nation’s number two executive post. He has also requested a second tour as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Bruce B. Auster reported in U.S. News and World Report: “Powell is able to transfer his unquestioned personal integrity to the institution he leads in part because, while he wields more power than almost any of his Pentagon predecessors, he is not addicted to it.” As a black military leader, Powell has demonstrated his commitment to helping young black men and women succeed in the armed services. He has long contended that the military should not be criticized for putting a disproportionate number of young black men and women in harm’s way, but rather praised and imitated for its history of providing opportunities to minorities. Marshall Brown quotes Powell in a profile in Black Enterprise: “What we are dealing with now is a changing of hearts, changing of perspectives and of minds.

We need to start to erase the cultural filter with respect to minorities.” As a soldier, Powell has demonstrated a firm commitment to protecting his country and securing a world where democratic values can flourish. He said in a March 1990 speech before the Town Hall of California : “I believe that as long as America leads the Free World, there will be no dominating state or region…. And the proper safeguards are the same safeguards that have secured the Free World’s liberties for over four decades—our strong values, our resilient democracies, our vibrant market economics, our strong alliances, and, yes, our proud and ready armed forces.” New York , New York African American soldier, military official, and secretary of state During Colin Powell's long and impressive military and government career, he has served in some of the country's highest positions, including chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. When President George W. Bush (1946–) chose Powell for the job of secretary of state, he became the first African American to ever serve in this position. A young soldier Colin Luther Powell was born in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, New York, on April 5, 1937. His parents were immigrants from Jamaica.

He spent most of his childhood in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City, which was then regarded as a step up from Harlem. The neighborhood included white, African American, and Puerto Rican residents. Powell has said that he never thought of himself as a "minority" while a child. Despite his parents' urgings that he should "strive for a good education" in order to "make something" of his life, Powell remained an ordinary student throughout high school. At City College of New York, however, Powell discovered his leadership skills after joining the army's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). He graduated from the program in 1958 and was made a second lieutenant (an army officer who is below all other officers) in the U.S. Army. He was then assigned to duty in West Germany. In 1962 he met and married Alma Vivian Johnson, with whom he eventually had three children. Powell's next overseas assignment was in South Vietnam .

At the time the United States was involved in the Vietnam War (1955–75; a civil war in which anti-Communist forces in South Vietnam, supported by the United States, were fighting against a takeover by Communist forces in North Vietnam). During his first tour of duty in Vietnam (1962–63), Powell was wounded in action. He returned for a second tour (1968–69) and received the Soldier's Medal for pulling several men from a burning helicopter. Working in Washington After his second tour in Vietnam, Powell returned to the United States and studied for a master's degree in business administration at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He received the degree in 1971, then went to work at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense and military services. He then moved on to a position in the Office of Management and Budget under the director, Caspar Weinberger (1917–), and his deputy, Frank Carlucci (1930–). These two men were to have a major influence on Powell's career.

In the late 1970s, Powell attained the rank of major general (an army officer who is above a brigadier general) and held positions in the Pentagon and Department of Energy. In 1983 he became a military assistant to Weinberger, who was then the secretary of defense under President Ronald Reagan (1911–). While Powell was assisting Weinberger, his advice was sought by the National Security Council (NSC), the agency within the executive branch that advises the president on affairs relating to national security. The NSC wanted to make a secret sale of weapons to Iran in the belief that it would help to free American hostages that were being held in Lebanon by terrorist groups supporting Iran. Powell advised the NSC that the sale was illegal. His opposition helped to establish a reputation for having strong moral character that later served him well and that kept him from being harmed when the NSC's illegal arms deal was eventually exposed. In 1986 Powell was asked by President Reagan to become Frank Carlucci's deputy on the NSC. He replaced Carlucci as national security adviser (head of the NSC) in 1987 and held the post for the rest of the Reagan administration.

Arms control and attempts to overthrow the socialist government of Nicaragua were high priorities for Powell and other policy-makers during this period. Heading the Joint Chiefs of Staff When President-elect George Bush (1924–) told Powell that he wished to name a new national security adviser, Powell could have chosen to leave the army to earn a substantial income giving lectures or consulting in the business world. However, Powell did not retire. Instead, having been promoted to full general (an army officer who is above a lieutenant general), he took over the army's Forces Command. In this position he was responsible for overseeing the readiness of over a million regular, reserve, and National Guard personnel in the United States. Powell took on more responsibility when he was nominated by President Bush in 1989 to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS; the group that is responsible for giving military information and advice to the president, the secretary of defense, and the National Security Council). Powell was the first black officer to hold this post. As chairman of the JCS, Powell played a key role in the December 1989 American military invasion of Panama to unseat that country's military leader, Manuel Noriega (1938–).

Earlier in 1989, Noriega, who had been in control of the Panamanian government since 1983, had cancelled presidential elections. Noriega was also involved in the buying and selling of illegal drugs and other unlawful activities. The U.S. government overthrew Noriega in an effort to bring the leader to the United States to be tried on drug charges, to protect Americans, and to give the Panamanian people back their freedom. Television appearances in which Powell explained the purpose of the operation brought him to the favorable attention of the American public. Powell was also highly visible during Operation Desert Shield. This was a joint effort by the United States and several other nations to pressure Saddam Hussein (1937–), the president of the Middle Eastern nation Iraq , into removing his forces from the neighboring country of Kuwait . Iraq had occupied Kuwait in August 1990. It soon became apparent that this operation, unlike the one in Panama, would take months to decide and involved the risk of high casualties (deaths of soldiers) if war broke out between the Iraqis and the international forces.

Operation Desert Shield turned into Operation Desert Storm on January 16, 1991, beginning the six-week conflict that was known as the Persian Gulf War. Powell again demonstrated his leadership during this time, and the Iraqi army was swiftly crushed. For his part in this war, Powell was awarded a Congressional gold medal. Secretary of State After Powell retired from the military in 1993, he was often mentioned as a potential candidate for president. While many hoped that he would run for president in 1996, he announced in 1995 that he would not do so. Instead, Powell supported George W. Bush in the campaign that led to Bush's election in 2000. On December 16, 2000, Bush announced that he would name Powell as his secretary of state, the nation's top foreign policy position. Powell was the first African American named to this post. On September 11, 2001, anti-American terrorists crashed jet planes into the Pentagon and into the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.

The attack killed thousands and led Bush to declare that the United States would pursue a "war on terrorism." The Bush administration's efforts concentrated initially on targets in Afghanistan , and Powell's greatest challenge was to build support for the American "war" among Arab and Muslim governments. As the effort to stamp out terrorism continued, Powell was perceived as a force for moderation in the Bush government, pushing for the building of alliances and for restraint when others argued for more aggressive military action. For More Information Banta, Melissa. Colin Powell. New York: Chelsea House, 1995. Finlayson, Reggie. Colin Powell. Minneapolis : Lerner Publications, 1997. Hughes, Libby. Colin Powell: A Man of Quality. Parsippany, NJ: Dillon Press, 1996. Powell, Colin L., with Joseph E. Persico. My American Journey. New York: Random House, 1995. Schraff, Anne. Colin Powell: Soldier and Patriot. Springfield, NJ: Enslow, 1997. Wheeler, Jill C. Colin Powell. Edina, MN: Abdo Pub., 2002.

Cite this article Sources Already highly regarded by political and military leaders in the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon, U.S. Army General Colin Powell first achieved national and international prominence in 1990 and 1991. Powell, as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was one of the key leaders of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the military campaigns to protect Saudi Arabia and liberate Kuwait from Iraqi control. During the Persian Gulf War, he was credited with skillfully balancing the political objectives of President George Bush and the strategy needs of General Norman Schwarzkopf and other military commanders in the field. After the war in the Gulf, Powell was considered for the vice-presidency or even the presidency, but he resisted suggestions that he should run for America’s highest office. However, when George W. Bush was elected president in 2000, Powell did not decline Bush’s request that the retired general take on the position of Secretary of State. So, when the Bush administration took office in January of 2001, Powell became the first African-American Secretary of State in U.S. history.

Colin Luther Powell was born in 1937 in Harlem, the son of Jamaican immigrants who had both gone to work in New York City’s garment district. The young Powell grew up in the South Bronx, where he enjoyed a secure childhood, looked after by a closely knit family and a multi-ethnic community. He graduated from Morris High School in 1954 and received his B.A. in geology from the City College of New York in 1958. He was undistinguished as a student, but he excelled in the college’s Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC), leading the precision drill team and attaining the top rank offered by the corps—cadet colonel. He was not West Point trained, but his achievements in the ROTC won him a commission as second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Served in Vietnam His first assignment was at the Fulda Gap in West Germany, where American and allied troops stood as an obstacle on the Soviet Union’s most likely invasion route of Western Europe. In the 1960s, Powell served two tours of duty in South Vietnam.

As an adviser to South Vietnamese troops, he was wounded in 1963 when he fell victim to a Vietcong booby trap. His second tour, from 1968 to 1969, as an Army Infantry At a Glance… Born April 5, 1937, In Harlem, NY; son of Luther (a shipping clerk) and Maud Ariel (a seamstress) Powell; married Alma Vivian Johnson (a speech pathologist), August 25, 1962; children: Michael, Linda, Annemarie. Education: City College of the City University of New York, B.S., 1958; George Washington University, M.B.A., 1971; National War College, 1976. Religion: Episcopalian. Careen U.S.

Army career officer, 1958-; commissioned second lieutenant, 1958; served in West Germany, beginning 1958, and in the United States at Fort Benning, GA and Fort Owens, MA; served in South Vietnam, as a military adviser, 1962-63, as a battalion executive officer and division operations officer, 1968-69; served in South Korea as a battalion commander, 1973; commander of the Second Brigade of the 101 st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY, 1976-77; assistant commander of the Fourth infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO, 1981-83; deputy commander, Fort Leavenworth, KS, 1983; commanding general of the Fifth Corps, Frankfurt, West Germany, 1986-87; promoted to the rank of general, 1989; commander-in-chief of the U.S.

Forces Command, Fort McPherson, GA, 1989; chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., 1989-93; political appointments. Assistant to the Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget, 1972-73; executive assistant to the Secretary of Energy, 1979; senior military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, 1979-81; military assistant to the Secretary of Defense, 1983-86; deputy assistant for the Assistant to the President, National Security Affairs, 1987; Assistant to the President, National Security Affairs, 1987-89; Secretary of State, 2001-. Awards: Several military honors, including Purple Heart, 1963, Bronze Star, 1963, Soldier’s Medal, 1969, and Legion of Merit, 1972; White House fellow, 1972-73; Secretary’s Award, 1988. Addresses: Home —Fort Myers VA.

Office— Secretary of State, White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D,C., 20500. officer, also ended when Powell was injured, this time in a helicopter crash from which he rescued two of his fellow soldiers. For his valor in Vietnam, he received two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, a Soldier’s Medal, and the Legion of Merit. Back on the home front, Powell pursued an M.B.A. at George Washington University. After completing his graduate studies in 1971, he was awarded a prestigious White House fellowship, which gave him the opportunity to get his first taste of politics. From 1972 to 1973, he worked for Frank Carlucci, then-Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Caspar Weinberger. It was the beginning of Powell’s education in the dynamics of the Washington bureaucracy. Over the next 15 years he returned to the political arena from time to time to continue that education.

From 1979 to 1981, Powell served the Carter administration as an executive assistant to Charles Duncan, Jr., the Secretary of Energy, and as senior military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. When the Reagan administration came to Washington, Powell worked with Carlucci on the Defense Department’s transition team, and then from 1983 to 1986 he joined Weinberger again, this time as military assistant to the Defense Secretary. While there, Powell contributed to the department’s involvement in the invasion of Grenada and the bombing raid on Libya. Between stints in the political arena, Powell continued to advance his military career. In 1973, he traveled to South Korea to take command of a battalion and then a year later he returned to Washington as a staff officer at the Pentagon. He completed his military education at the National War College in 1976 and took command of the Second Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky that same year. In the early 1980s, he completed assignments as the assistant commander of the Fourth Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado, and as the deputy director at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

He was in West Germany again in 1987, this time as commanding general of the Fifth Corps in Frankfurt, when he was called back to Washington to work again with Frank Carlucci, the new National Security Adviser. Began Working for National Security Council Carlucci had been chosen to head the troubled National Security Council (NSC) in the aftermath of the Iran-Contra scandal. Powell was not a stranger to the NSC’s dealings under Admiral John Poindexter and Oliver North; he had first confronted the issue of arms sales to Iran while working under Weinberger at the Defense Department. Yet, even though he had been aware of the covert activities, he remained above reproach because he had always acted according to law and had not become involved until after presidential approval had been given. Together Carlucci and Powell reorganized the NSC to reduce the possibility for free-lance foreign policy. When in 1987 Carlucci took over as Secretary of Defense for the departing Weinberger, Powell was called upon to take over leadership of the NSC.

The move earned widespread approval in Washington because, as Fred Barnes wrote in the New Republic, Powell is “a national security adviser strong enough to settle policy disputes but without a personal agenda.” During his tenure at the NSC, Powell did speak out on a number of issues he felt were important to national security, including economic strength, control of technology exchanges, protection of the environment, a stable defense budget, free trade and foreign investment, research and development, and education. He also expressed his opposition to plans for the overthrow of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and to heavy spending on the Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”). Even so, as he told Barnes, “I’m principally a broker. I have strong views on things, but my job is to make sure the president gets the best information available to make an informed decision.” Appointed Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff In 1989, President George H.W. Bush rewarded Powell for the knowledge and skills he had acquired in the military and political arenas by naming him to the military’s top post—Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell was the youngest man and first black to hold that position.

In peacetime, the chairman’s responsibilities have included overseeing the prioritization of Pentagon spending and keeping the channels of communication open between the military and the White House. They have also included drawing up plans for military action, first in Panama and then in the Middle East. Because of a 1986 law redefining his role, the general had more influence than any Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since World War II. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, obliged Powell to exercise that authority. The day after the invasion, Powell advised the president that a number of options were open, including economic and diplomatic sanctions, as well as the use of military force; the Bush administration decided that decisive force was the necessary response. Operation Desert Shield, requiring the massive movement of troops and supplies to Saudi Arabia, was soon initiated as a show of force and to serve as a deterrent to further Iraqi aggression. After touring the Middle East, the general recommended increasing the number of troops to assure the success of an isolate and destroy strategy if it proved necessary. He told U.S.

News and World Report: “You go in to win, and you go in to win decisively.” In the early stages of the operation, Powell again demonstrated his ability to manage people and bureaucracies. As European and Middle Eastern troops joined in a coalition against Iraq, Powell directed the quick integration of communications, operations, and authority into a command network under the direction of General Norman Schwarzkopf. During the planning of the air and land campaigns, he aided the president in making political decisions and kept him informed of military plans, but he also convinced the Washington warriors to give the commanders in Saudi Arabia the space needed to earn, out their missions. He, too, avoided invclvement in the minute details of day-to-day operations, exerting his authority only on major issues. He oversaw bombing missions on Baghdad only after the destruction of a suburban Baghdad bunker killed 400 civil: ans. He rejected Marine requests to launch a true amphibious assault on Kuwait instead of the feint scheduled to aid Schwarzkopf’s encirclement of Kuwait by an end run through Iraq.

He also convinced President Bush to respond to the February 21, 1991 Iraqi peace proposal with an ultimatum: the Iraqis must pull out of Kuwait by noon Washington time, February 23. When the deadline passed, the coalition began its land campaign later that night as scheduled. Thrown Into the Spotlight With the success of Operation Desert Storm, Powell was hurled into the spotlight of media and public attention. Powell found himself the target of public scrutiny and criticism. Some black leaders labeled him a servant of the white establishment and peace activists considered him a trigger-happy hawk. Such criticisms, however, were tempered by praise of him as a positive role model for your g African Americans and as a committed defender of liberty. Because of his leadership during the war effort and his experience as an insider in the Washington bureaucracy, Powell political analysts suggested him as a promising candidate for future political office, either as vice-president or president. But Powell shied away from such notions, end met with Vice-President Dan Quayle to assure him that the general had no designs on the nation’s number two executive post. Powell also requested a second tour as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Bruce B. Auster reported in U.S.

News and World Report: “Powell is able to transfer his unquestioned personal integrity to the institution he leads in part because, while he wields more power than almost any of his Pentagon predecessors, he is not addicted to it.” As a black military leader, Powell has demonstrated his commitment to helping young black men and women succeed in the armed services. He has long contended that the military should not be criticized for putting a disproportionate number of young black men and women in harm’s way, but rather praised for its history of providing opportunities to minorities. Powell was quoted in Black Enterprise as saying, “What we are dealing with now is a changing of hearts, changing of perspectives and of minds. We need to start to erase the cultural filter with respect to minorities.” America’s Promise After his retirement from his position as chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1993, Powell shied from politics and pressure to run for high office, directing his energies instead toward helping America’s youth. In 1997, Powell, along with Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carer, and Gerald Ford, attended the President’s Summit for America’s Future.

The Summit, which took place in Philadelphia, called upon Americans to make youth a national priority and challenged citizens to dedicate their time to volunteer efforts that would improve the lives of America’s 15 million impoverished children. Inspired by the Summit, Powell founded America’s Promise, an organization which acts to mobilize the nation to provide America’s children with five fundamental resources, or Five Promises. These Five Promises, according to the America’s Promise website include: “ongoing relationships with caring adults—parents, mentors, tutors, or coaches; safe places with structured activities during nonschool hours; healthy start and future; marketable skills through effective education; and opportunities to give back through community service.” Although the organization focuses heavily on promoting volunteerism, Powell often preferred to emphasize the importance of youth development. In 1997, he spoke about the unparalleled importance of a loving adult in a child’s life, saying that the only alternative, as quoted by U.S. News & World Report, is to “keep building more jails.” The organization has a presence in over 500 communities and in all 50 states.

Powell, as quoted on the America’s Promise website, said, “America’s Promise is pulling together the might of this nation to strengthen the character and competence of youth. And it’s working.” Secretary of State In 2000, after nearly seven years out of the political arena, Powell found himself again solicited to serve a President Bush. But this time it was George Bush’s son, George W. Bush, who, after being elected to the nation’s highest office, called upon Powell to join his Cabinet of advisors. Bush asked Powell to become his Secretary of State. Powell agreed, and became the first African American ever to hold the office. Powell settled into his new job quickly. When Powell reported to work, State Department employees lined up just to shake hands with him. Some of them even wept for joy when they met the new Secretary. Colin Powell has dedicated his life to the service of his country. As a soldier, Powell demonstrated a firm commitment to protecting his country and securing a world where democratic values can flourish. Although he has preferred to avoid limelight of high office, Powell has become a prominent figure in U.S. politics, advising several American presidents.

He has also dedicated himself to America’s future—her children. Powell has become an American success story, but unlike the typical rags-to-riches story, Powell’s success stems, not from monetary accumulation, but rather, from all that he has given in service to his fellow Americans. Los Angeles Times, February 17, 1991. Nation’s Cities Weekly, June 5, 2000. New Republic, May 30, 1988. Newsweek, August 21, 1989; March 18, 1990, May 24, 1999; March 5, 2001. New York Times, October 15, 1987; September 16, 1988; December 2, 1988; August 15, 1989. Time, November 16, 1987; August 21, 1989. U.S.

News and World Report, April 25, 1988; December 24, 1990; February 4, 1991; March 18, 1991; December 8, 1997. Washington Post, March 23, 1987; August 7, 1988; August 10, 1989; August 11, 1989. Other Additional material was obtained online at the America’s Promise website, . —Bryan Ryan and Jennifer M. York Cite this article Colin L. Powell (1937 - ) < Black History | CBN.com Colin L. Powell By Thomson Gale CBN.com  Already highly regarded by political and military leaders in the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon, U.S. Army General Colin Powell first achieved national and international prominence in 1990 and 1991. Powell, as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was one of the key leaders of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the military campaigns to protect Saudi Arabia and liberate Kuwait from Iraqi control.

During the Persian Gulf War, he was credited with skillfully balancing the political objectives of President George Bush and the strategy needs of General Norman Schwarzkopf and other military commanders in the field. After the war in the Gulf, Powell was considered for the vice-presidency or even the presidency, but he resisted suggestions that he should run for America's highest office. However, when George W. Bush was elected president in 2000, Powell did not decline Bush's request that the retired general take on the position of Secretary of State. So, when the Bush administration took office in January of 2001, Powell became the first African American Secretary of State in U.S. history. Colin Luther Powell was born in 1937 in Harlem, the son of Jamaican immigrants who had both gone to work in New York City's garment district. The young Powell grew up in the South Bronx, where he enjoyed a secure childhood, looked after by a closely knit family and a multi-ethnic community. He graduated from Morris High School in 1954 and received his B.A. in geology from the City College of New York in 1958.

He was undistinguished as a student, but he excelled in the college's Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC), leading the precision drill team and attaining the top rank offered by the corps—cadet colonel. He was not West Point trained, but his achievements in the ROTC won him a commission as second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Served in Vietnam His first assignment was at the Fulda Gap in West Germany, where American and allied troops stood as an obstacle on the Soviet Union's most likely invasion route of Western Europe. In the 1960s, Powell served two tours of duty in South Vietnam. As an adviser to South Vietnamese troops, he was wounded in 1963 when he fell victim to a Vietcong booby trap. His second tour, from 1968 to 1969, as an Army Infantry officer, also ended when Powell was injured, this time in a helicopter crash from which he rescued two of his fellow soldiers. For his valor in Vietnam, he received two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, a Soldier's Medal, and the Legion of Merit. Back on the home front, Powell pursued an M.B.A. at George Washington University.

After completing his graduate studies in 1971, he was awarded a prestigious White House fellowship, which gave him the opportunity to get his first taste of politics. From 1972 to 1973, he worked for Frank Carlucci, then-Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Caspar Weinberger. It was the beginning of Powell's education in the dynamics of the Washington bureaucracy. Over the next 15 years he returned to the political arena from time to time to continue that education. From 1979 to 1981, Powell served the Carter administration as an executive assistant to Charles Duncan, Jr., the Secretary of Energy, and as senior military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. When the Reagan administration came to Washington, Powell worked with Carlucci on the Defense Department's transition team, and then from 1983 to 1986 he joined Weinberger again, this time as military assistant to the Defense Secretary. While there, Powell contributed to the department's involvement in the invasion of Grenada and the bombing raid on Libya. Between stints in the political arena, Powell continued to advance his military career.

In 1973, he traveled to South Korea to take command of a battalion and then a year later he returned to Washington as a staff officer at the Pentagon. He completed his military education at the National War College in 1976 and took command of the Second Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky that same year. In the early 1980s, he completed assignments as the assistant commander of the Fourth Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado, and as the deputy director at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was in West Germany again in 1987, this time as commanding general of the Fifth Corps in Frankfurt, when he was called back to Washington to work again with Frank Carlucci, the new National Security Adviser. Began Working for National Security Council Carlucci had been chosen to head the troubled National Security Council (NSC) in the aftermath of the Iran-Contra scandal. Powell was not a stranger to the NSC's dealings under Admiral John Poindexter and Oliver North; he had first confronted the issue of arms sales to Iran while working under Weinberger at the Defense Department.

Yet, even though he had been aware of the covert activities, he remained above reproach because he had always acted according to law and had not become involved until after presidential approval had been given. Together Carlucci and Powell reorganized the NSC to reduce the possibility for free-lance foreign policy. When in 1987 Carlucci took over as Secretary of Defense for the departing Weinberger, Powell was called upon to take over leadership of the NSC. The move earned widespread approval in Washington because, as Fred Barnes wrote in the New Republic, Powell is "a national security adviser strong enough to settle policy disputes but without a personal agenda." During his tenure at the NSC, Powell did speak out on a number of issues he felt were important to national security, including economic strength, control of technology exchanges, protection of the environment, a stable defense budget, free trade and foreign investment, research and development, and education. He also expressed his opposition to plans for the overthrow of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and to heavy spending on the Strategic Defense Initiative ("Star Wars"). Even so, as he told Barnes, "I'm principally a broker.

I have strong views on things, but my job is to make sure the president gets the best information available to make an informed decision." Appointed Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff In 1989, President George H.W. Bush rewarded Powell for the knowledge and skills he had acquired in the military and political arenas by naming him to the military's top post—Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell was the youngest man and first black to hold that position. In peacetime, the chairman's responsibilities have included overseeing the prioritization of Pentagon spending and keeping the channels of communication open between the military and the White House. They have also included drawing up plans for military action, first in Panama and then in the Middle East. Because of a 1986 law redefining his role, the general had more influence than any Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since World War II. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, obliged Powell to exercise that authority. The day after the invasion, Powell advised the president that a number of options were open, including economic and diplomatic sanctions, as well as the use of military force; the Bush administration decided that decisive force was the necessary response.

Operation Desert Shield, requiring the massive movement of troops and supplies to Saudi Arabia, was soon initiated as a show of force and to serve as a deterrent to further Iraqi aggression. After touring the Middle East, the general recommended increasing the number of troops to assure the success of an isolate and destroy strategy if it proved necessary. He told U.S. News and World Report: "You go in to win, and you go in to win decisively." In the early stages of the operation, Powell again demonstrated his ability to manage people and bureaucracies. As European and Middle Eastern troops joined in a coalition against Iraq, Powell directed the quick integration of communications, operations, and authority into a command network under the direction of General Norman Schwarzkopf. During the planning of the air and land campaigns, he aided the president in making political decisions and kept him informed of military plans, but he also convinced the Washington warriors to leave the commanders in Saudi Arabia the space needed to carry out their missions. He, too, avoided involvement in the minute details of day-to-day operations, exerting his authority only on major issues. He oversaw bombing missions on Baghdad only after the destruction of a suburban Baghdad bunker killed 400 civilians.

He rejected Marine requests to launch a true amphibious assault on Kuwait instead of the feint scheduled to aid Schwarzkopf's encirclement of Kuwait by an end run through Iraq. He also convinced President Bush to respond to the February 21, 1991 Iraqi peace proposal with an ultimatum: the Iraqis must pull out of Kuwait by noon Washington time, February 23. When the deadline passed, the coalition began its land campaign later that night as scheduled. Thrown Into the Spotlight With the success of Operation Desert Storm, Powell was hurled into the spotlight of media and public attention. Powell found himself the target of public scrutiny and criticism. Some black leaders labeled him a servant of the white establishment and peace activists considered him a trigger-happy hawk. Such criticisms, however, were tempered by praise of him as a positive role model for young African Americans and as a committed defender of liberty. Because of his leadership during the war effort and his experience as an insider in the Washington bureaucracy, Powell political analysts suggested him as a promising candidate for future political office, either as vice-president or president.

But Powell shied away from such notions, and met with Vice-President Dan Quayle to assure him that the general had no designs on the nation's number two executive post. Powell also requested a second tour as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Bruce B. Auster reported in U.S. News and World Report: "Powell is able to transfer his unquestioned personal integrity to the institution he leads in part because, while he wields more power than almost any of his Pentagon predecessors, he is not addicted to it." As a black military leader, Powell has demonstrated his commitment to helping young black men and women succeed in the armed services. He has long contended that the military should not be criticized for putting a disproportionate number of young black men and women in harm's way, but rather praised for its history of providing opportunities to minorities. Powell was quoted in Black Enterprise as saying, "What we are dealing with now is a changing of hearts, changing of perspectives and of minds.

We need to start to erase the cultural filter with respect to minorities." America's Promise After his retirement from his position as chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1993, Powell shied from politics and pressure to run for high office, directing his energies instead toward helping America's youth. In 1997, Powell, along with Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carer, and Gerald Ford, attended the President's Summit for America's Future. The Summit, which took place in Philadelphia, called upon Americans to make youth a national priority and challenged citizens to dedicate their time to volunteer efforts that would improve the lives of America's 15 million impoverished children. Inspired by the Summit, Powell founded America's Promise, an organization which acts to mobilize the nation to provide America's children with five fundamental resources, or Five Promises. These Five Promises, according to the America's Promise website include: "ongoing relationships with caring adults—parents, mentors, tutors, or coaches; safe places with structured activities during nonschool hours; healthy start and future; marketable skills through effective education; and opportunities to give back through community service." Although the organization focuses heavily on promoting volunteerism, Powell often preferred to emphasize the importance of youth development.

In 1997, he spoke about the unparalleled importance of a loving adult in a child's life, saying that the only alternative, as quoted by U.S. News & World Report, is to "keep building more jails." The organization has a presence in over 500 communities and in all 50 states. Powell, as quoted on the America's Promise website, said, "America's Promise is pulling together the might of this nation to strengthen the character and competence of youth. And it's working." Secretary of State In 2000, after nearly 7 years out of the political arena, Powell found himself again solicited to serve a President Bush. But this time it was George Bush's son, George W. Bush, who, after being elected to the nation's highest office, called upon Powell to join his Cabinet of advisors. Bush asked Powell to become his Secretary of State. Powell agreed, and became the first African American ever to hold the office. Powell settled into his new job quickly. When Powell reported to work, State Department employees lined up just to shake hands with him. Some of them even wept for joy when they met the new Secretary.

Colin Powell has dedicated his life to the service his country. As a soldier, Powell demonstrated a firm commitment to protecting his country and securing a world where democratic values can flourish. Although he has preferred to avoid limelight of high office, Powell has become a prominent figure in U.S. politics, advising several American presidents. He has also dedicated himself to America's future—her children. Powell has become an American success story, but unlike the typical rags-to-riches story, Powell's success stems, not from monetary accumulation, but rather, from all that he has given in service to his fellow Americans. August 22, 2003: Powell asked Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to enlist security forces under Arafat's control to help crush Hamas and other groups held responsible for a Jerusalem bus bombing. Source: New York Times, September 14, 2003. September 26, 2003: Powell announced that the United States set a deadline of six months for Iraqi leaders working under United States-led occupation to produce a new constitution for Iraq. Source: New York Times, October 6, 2003.

October 26, 2003: Powell conceded that the Bush administration had not expected armed resistance in Iraq to continue as long as it had at so high a level. He also denied that the administration was trying to minimize the seriousness of problems there or to mislead the public. Source: New York Times, October 30, 2003. December 2, 2003: Powell embarked on a five-nation, four-day tour, hoping to mend fences with Europeans upset by the United States strategy in Iraq and to strengthen the resolve of North African nations rattled by terror attacks to continue to fight Islamic militants. Source: New York Times, December 4, 2003. January 9, 2004: Powell conceded that despite his assertions to United Nations in 2003, he has no "smoking gun" proof of a link between former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's government and Al Qaeda terrorists. Source: New York Times, January 19, 2004. February 26, 2004: Powell told Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide to do what was best for his people and resign.

Source: CNN.com, February 27, 2004. March 17, 2004: Powell visited Afghan leaders in Kabul after Pakistani forces killed 24 suspected militants near the Afghanistan border. Source: CNN.com, March 17, 2004. March 19, 2004: Powell, in an unscheduled visit to Baghdad, marked the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by praising that country's progress toward democracy. Source: CNN.com, March 20, 2004. April 2, 2004: Powell said his prewar testimony to the United Nations Security Council about Iraq's alleged mobile, biological weapons labs, in February of 2003, was based on information that apparently was not "solid." Source: CNN.com, April 3, 2004. April 19, 2004: Powell disputed portions of journalist Bob Woodward's book on the prelude to the war in Iraq, but confirmed that the White House told Bush administration officials to cooperate with the writing of Woodward's Plan of Attack. Source: CNN.com, April 20, 2004.

June 13, 2004: Powell said a State Department report that incorrectly showed a decline in worldwide terrorism in 2003 was a "big mistake." Source: CNN.com, June 13, 2004. July 27, 2004: Powell, visiting Budapest, praised Hungary as "steadfast" in its commitment to the coalition in Iraq. Source: CNN.com, July 27, 2004. July 30, 2004: Powell said a wave of kidnappings throughout Iraq deters countries from participating in that country's reconstruction. Source: CNN.com, July 30, 2004. September 26, 2004: Powell said the United States will enter insurgent-heavy "no-go zones" in Iraq to clear the way for legitimate elections in January. Source: CNN.com, September 26, 2004. November 15, 2004: Powell announced his resignation as U.S. Secretary of State. Source: CNN.com, November 15, 2004.

Further Reading 05 Apr Colin Powell Former US Secretary of State Turns 70 Photos and Images | Getty Images 05 Apr Colin Powell Former US Secretary of State Turns 70 January 04, 2005 License US Secretary of State Colin Powell walks past boards displaying photos of the...US Secretary of State Colin Powell walks past boards displaying photos of the missing tsunami victims during a stop at the Tsunami Co-Ordination and Relief centre at Phuket Town Hall, January 4, 2005 in Phuket, Thailand. Phuket was the first stop on Powell and Bush's three nation tsunami assessment tour and will conclude in Jakarta, Indonesia where they will attend an international tsunami conference. LessMore Colin Luther Powell - People - Department History - Office of the Historian Colin Luther Powell - People - Department History Biographies of the Secretaries of State: Colin Luther Powell (1937–) Introduction Colin L. Powell was appointed Secretary of State by George W. Bush on January 20, 2001, after being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He served for four years, leaving the position on January 26, 2005.

He was the first African-American to serve as Secretary of State. Colin Luther Powell, 65th Secretary of State Rise to Prominence Powell was born on April 5, 1937, in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem. The son of two Jamaican immigrants, he was raised in the South Bronx. He attended City College of New York, and it was there that he began his military service, joining the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). After his graduation in 1958, Powell was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. During his 35 years in the Army he served two tours in Vietnam, was stationed in West Germany and South Korea, and acted as President Ronald Reagan's National Security Advisor from 1987 until 1989. In 1989 he was promoted to the rank of general, and was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In the four years Powell served in that capacity, he oversaw 28 crises, including Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

After his retirement in 1993, he founded America's Promise, an organization which helps at-risk children. He was nominated for Secretary of State by President George W. Bush on December 16, 2000. Influence on U.S. Diplomacy At the beginning of his term, Powell placed an emphasis on reaffirming diplomatic alliances throughout the world, supporting a national missile defense system, working towards peace in the Middle East, and prioritizing sanctions instead of force in potential hot spots such as Iraq. He also focused on reinvigorating U.S. diplomacy through reforms in the Department of State’s organizational culture and an infusion of resources for personnel, information technology, security, and facilities. Powell's term, however, was soon dominated by the challenges the Bush Administration faced after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Powell was one of the foremost supporters of taking swift military action against al-Qaeda and demanded immediate cooperation from Afghanistan and Pakistan in the U.S. search for those who were complicit in the attacks. When the Administration's attention shifted to Iraq and the possibility that Saddam Hussein was manufacturing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Powell pressed to have UN inspectors investigate.

In February 2003, Powell presented intelligence to the UN that supported the claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and could produce more. Subsequently, the Administration moved quickly toward preemptive military action against Iraq, despite Powell’s advice that war should not begin until a large coalition of allies and a long-term occupation plan were in place. In 2004, some of the intelligence that Powell had brought before the UN in 2003 was found to be erroneous. Although Afghanistan and Iraq demanded a great deal of Powell’s attention during his tenure, he pursued other important U.S. foreign policy initiatives and grappled with various crises that arose between 2001 and 2005. After initially difficult Administration interactions with Russia and China, Powell worked to improve both bilateral relationships. Prominent among these efforts were management of U.S. withdrawal from the U.S.-Russian Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty and the signing of the Moscow Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions in May 2002. In the area of foreign aid, Powell pushed the Administration to increase its commitment to the international fight against AIDS, and oversaw a doubling of development assistance funding.

He also pressed for international cooperation to halt the nuclear weapons programs of North Korea and Iran, and the Administration achieved an important nonproliferation success when Libya agreed to give up its weapons programs in 2003. Powell confronted a variety of international crises as well, including a near war between nuclear powers India and Pakistan in 2001-2002, domestic turmoil in Liberia (2003) and Haiti (2004), and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. His continued belief that Middle East stability required a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict led him to advocate the 2002 “Road Map” that aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state at peace with Israel. Although President Bush endorsed the plan, Powell was not able to persuade the Administration to make a strong commitment to its implementation. On November 15, 2004, Powell announced his resignation. After stepping down as Secretary of State, he returned to a busy life in the private sector continuing his work with America's Promise Alliance. He serves on the Boards of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Eisenhower Fellowship Program, and the Powell Center at the City College of New York.

Born 1937 Entry on Duty: January 20, 2001 Termination of Appointment: January 25, 2005

Question: Who became chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1989?
Answer: Colin Powel